Wickes is aiming to open four to five new shops this year, then it will increase this target to at least ten new stores a year from 2028
DIY chain Wickes has revealed plans to expand its network of stores to 300 sites nationwide – in a move that would create more than 2,000 jobs.
The retailer currently has 230 stores, which means it wants to open 70 new sites. Wickes is aiming to open four to five new shops this year, then it will increase this target to at least ten new stores a year from 2028.
Wickes opened five stores last year, with four having taken over previous Homebase sites, although it also closed three stores, refitted two sites and refreshed another nine.
It also wants to refresh 15 to 20 sites this year and at least 20 a year from 2028.
Wickes revealed its store opening plans as part of its latest full-year results, where it reported that underlying pre-tax profits rose from £23million to £49million for the year to December 27.
David Wood, chief executive of Wickes, said: “This has been another year of strong progress against our strategy.
“We’ve achieved volume-driven growth across all three areas of the business, as the strength of our proposition continues to resonate with customers. I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their continued hard work and commitment.
“In Retail, we achieved record market share with particularly strong sales across timber, tiling & flooring and paint, while TradePro continues to perform strongly, growing to 643,000 active members.
“We’re also pleased with the performance of our Design & Installation business, which has now recorded five consecutive quarters of ordered sales growth.
“Given the strength of investment returns from our proven store refit and new store rollout strategy, we have today announced the decision to accelerate our investment for future growth.
“This takes our ambition to reach 300 stores nationwide – creating over 2,000 new jobs as we bring Wickes’ distinctive offer to new locations up and down the UK.”
Wickes said trading in the first 11 weeks of its new financial year has seen demand for outdoor DIY products hit by wet weather.
But it added that it notched up ongoing increases in sales by volume for indoor projects and its design and installation business.
“Continued investment in our proven growth levers positions us well for 2026, notwithstanding the uncertain consumer and geopolitical environment,” it added.
Wickes said it remained on track with full year expectations for underlying pre-tax profits to rise to £57.6million in 2026. The group also announced a £10million share buyback programme.
